Popping the Question
by Kristen3
Summary: Post-series. Richie has met a girl he thinks is "the one," but he's not so sure about proposing. Will a little advice from his dad convince him to take a chance on love? One-shot that got split. :)
1. Chapter 1

Richie walked up to the familiar front door. He was a grown man now, and he typically went by Richard, but here, he would always be Richie. His parents still lived on Bonnie Meadow Road, in the same home he'd grown up in.

The last few years had been a blur for him. When it came time to pick a career, the choice wasn't hard. He followed his father's footsteps and took a job in television. Having a father who was the head writer for _The Alan Brady Show_ opened a few doors, and in no time, Richie found himself directing sitcoms. His parents were so proud, especially his father. His latest show was beginning to be a hit. Life was good, except for one thing.

While working on one show, Richie met a girl. She was an actress, and the two had hit it off immediately. The series, unfortunately, didn't last a season, but the romance certainly did. Her name was Rose, and Richie and his parents couldn't help laughing over the fact that, if they were to marry, her name would be Rose Petrie. They all agreed it would be perfect, especially since Richie's middle name happened to be Rosebud. The talk of marriage had been a joke at first, but now it didn't seem so funny anymore. He really did think she was the one. He'd gone out and bought a ring, and was so excited to propose to her. But then came the part where he actually had to _ask_ her. Richie had no idea if she would say yes or no. He knew that back when his parents were dating, things were much simpler. Women got married and had babies. But now, some women were more interested in a career than a family.

After driving himself crazy for days over what to do, Richie finally decided he had only one option. Go talk to the man he'd always admired: his dad. His parents had been married for over thirty years, and yet they were still just as in love as when they were newlyweds. Whatever advice his father had, he knew it would be good. He rang the doorbell and waited.

Rob heard the doorbell ring. "Honey, did you invite Millie over again tonight? I didn't forget a bridge game again, did I?"

Laura shook her head. "No. She and Jerry went to visit their grandkids this week."

"Huh. Then who's at the door?" Rob wondered.

"I don't know, Darling. Why don't you answer it?" Laura rolled her eyes. She loved Rob so much, but sometimes she wondered what was wrong with him.

"Well, OK," Rob said, getting up. He wasn't quite as energetic or as graceful as he'd been years ago. "Coming!" _It better be somebody important_ , he thought as he crossed the room. He finally opened the door, and his jaw dropped. "Richie! Why didn't you call? Your mother would've made dinner."

Richie smiled, suddenly feeling like a little boy all over again. "I didn't want anyone to go to any trouble," he said, slightly embarrassed. "I kind of just wanted to talk to you, Dad."

"Well, that didn't hurt my feelings _too_ badly," Laura said, coming to stand beside her husband.

Richie quickly hugged his mother. "It's always great to see you, Mom. It's nothing personal, I swear. I just need to talk to Dad. It's kind of a guy thing."

Laura looked from her husband to her son. "I guess I'll just go in the kitchen for a moment, then, and leave you two alone," she said, after taking a moment to get over the surprise.

Rob waited until his wife had left the room. "What's on your mind, son?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Well, Dad -" Richie began.

His father interrupted. "This is about Rose, isn't it?"

"Yeah, actually, it is. How'd you guess that?"

Rob smiled. "Because that's the look I used to get back in the army, when I was seeing your mother. You've got it bad, haven't you?"

"I would say so, since I bought this." He produced the box with the ring from his pocket. "I was all set to ask her, and then I started to get cold feet. I mean, a lot has changed since you and Mom did this."

"It sure has," Rob agreed. He remembered when Richie first moved out of their house. Laura suddenly didn't know what to do with herself, without a son to raise. But she quickly found a new purpose in teaching music and dance to a few of the neighbors' children. It wasn't a full-scale dance school, but she got quite a bit of word-of-mouth. Rob's mind returned to the present. "Some things have changed, sure. But there's one thing that's stayed the same: love."

Richie started to object. "But, Dad -"

"Don't 'but, Dad' me," Rob said firmly. "I can still remember sitting in the jeep with your mother, getting ready to ask her to marry me. I was in the United States military, and I can honestly say that was one of the scariest moments of my life. I tried to talk myself out of it again and again."

"Well, that's great advice, Dad," Richie said, rolling his eyes.

"I said I _tried_ to talk myself out of it. Every time I did, I just kept picturing your mother's smile, or how it felt to kiss her. No amount of logic could ever stand up to that. I was still scared, but I did it anyway. Because I knew if I didn't make my move, someone else might. I couldn't let that happen."

"So you're saying I should do it, even though there's a chance she'll say no?"

Rob nodded. "Trust me, if you love her, it won't matter that you're scared. From the first moment I saw your mother, I knew she was special. I just _had_ to get to know her. I talked another guy into letting me be her dance partner, and -"

"You stepped on Mom's foot and broke it. I know, Dad. I've heard the story." Richie couldn't help rolling his eyes. The stories of his parents' romance, his birth and the time his father had thought he'd been switched with another baby were just a few of the stories Richie had heard over and over growing up.

Rob saw that he wasn't getting anywhere. "OK, if you aren't sure about marrying her, let me ask you this. Suppose you don't marry her. A few months from now, she meets some other guy, and she goes out with him instead. _He_ decides to ask her, and she says yes. How do you feel now?"

"I'd want to tell the guy to get lost, because she's mine!" The answer came immediately, even before Richie had thought about it.

"Well, then, if she's yours, don't you think you should let her know that?" Rob asked, putting a hand on his son's shoulder.

Finally, Richie saw his father's point. "I guess you're right. I knew you'd know what to say." He hugged his father tightly.

"You're welcome, son. Just don't wait too long to ask her, or I have a feeling your mother's going to die of anticipation!"

Richie laughed. "No, I won't. And I promise I'll let you know when we set a date. I have a feeling this won't be a small wedding."

"With your mother planning it? I wouldn't count on it," Rob said, smiling. It was hard to believe that the man standing in front of him now was the same little boy who used to hide in the closet when he knew his father was coming home. "I'm proud of you, son. I know people seem to think marriage and relationships today are no big deal, but they're wrong. I wouldn't trade what your mom and I have for anything in the world. I thank God every day that she actually said yes."

Laura knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but she couldn't help it. She smiled as she heard Rob tell their son about love and their relationship. Rob had been her first love, and she couldn't begin to imagine where she'd be now if they hadn't met. _I think God every day that you asked,_ she thought, wiping a tear as she watched father and son hug once again.

As Richie got back into his car and started to drive home, all he could do was pray that, someday, he and Rose would have a love like his parents'.

 **The End**


End file.
